Trainer Roger James has confirmed that the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 will be the major 2014 Spring Racing Carnival target for talented mare Silent Achiever.
Silent Achiever scored two wins at Group 1 level during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Silent Achiever was one of the stars of the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, with the O’Reilly mare taking out both the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 The BMW (2400m) and she was sent to the spelling paddock after she finished a credible fourth in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.
James said in June that the Melbourne Cup would likely be the goal for Silent Achiever this campaign and he told Racing Ahead this morning that the rising year-old will contest either the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18 or the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 in the lead-up to ‘the race that stops a nation’.
“It was going to be last year, but we had a hiccup the week before,” James said of the Melbourne Cup.
“I have always been confident that she would get the two mile and she was able to run out a mile and a half in our Derby here as a very weak and frail three-year-old.
“Those indications right from an early stage would be that she would get two mile.
“I might pull the blinkers off her when we are going the ultimate trip, but we can decide that as we go along.
“She will go to the Memsie (Stakes) first-up, as she did last year.
“It is fair to say that she looked a trifle unlucky in the Memsie and never really going a go at all in the straight.
“She will then go to the Underwood (Stakes) and I will make a decision once I see the weights as to whether we go to a Caulfield Cup or a Cox Plate on the way to the Melbourne Cup.”
Silent Achiever has been back in work since the start of June, but she had her first piece of serious trackwork on the course proper at Cambridge this morning.
The four-time Group 1 winner worked alongside stablemate Zonza and James said that he was impressed with both horses; indicating that Silent Achiever is well on track for her first-up run in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30.
“She did have a nice hit-out this morning and it was her first hit-out in company this preparation,” James said.
“She has done a lot of good basic work and we had the course proper this morning; there hasn’t been a horse on it in three and a half months.
“She worked with Zonza and I was really happy with both of their work, more so because of the way they pulled up afterwards as well.
“I think that Silent Achiever is right where we want her.
“She had six weeks complete break and she has been in work about nine weeks.
“She has had a long build-up.”
Silent Achiever is currently available at odds of $34 in the 2014 Melbourne Cup betting market with Ladbrokes Australia and is at a quote of $11 for the 2014 Cox Plate and $21 for the 2014 Caulfield Cup.
